Canoe women in oar of big croc
Two women who paddled to escape an aggressive crocodile north of Cairns are “shaken up” but “pragmatic” after the encounter.
Just after 9am on Sunday, two women, in their late fifties and early sixties, were paddling in their respective canoes in the ocean at Yorkeys Knob.
They saw what they thought was a turtle, but as it moved closer they realised it was a large crocodile.
Sue Lockwood, senior coach with the Hekili Outrigger Canoe Club, said the women, who are members of the club, became alarmed as the croc began to act aggressively.
“It didn’t lunge at them, despite what is being said on social media. It did raise its tail, which is usually a sign of aggression,” Ms Lockwood said.
The women paddled their two 21-foot canoes to a nearby fisherman in a tinnie, who followed them back in his boat as they paddled to the beach.
They left their canoes on shore.
“We went back with a canoe with 12 people to make sure we would make enough noise to scare the croc away, and retrieved the two canoes,” Ms Lockwood said. “We had a posse on the water – and crocs don’t like human noise. There was safety in numbers so to speak. We didn’t see it. Most likely it was back into its habitat at that point.”
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service said there were three reported crocodile sightings that day and were preparing to investigate.
Ms Lockwood said the women were “very shaken up”.
“But anyone would be … they are also very sensible and pragmatic about the whole thing, and it’s not going to stop them from paddling again,” she said,